Cigarette making machine



May 1, 1934. F. G. STEUART CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE Filed June 27. 1.951

INVENTOR FINLAY GRAEME STEUART ATTORNEYS Faiented May l, 1934 CIGARETTE MAKENG MACHENE Application June 27, 1931, Serial No. 547,394

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in cigarette making machines having for their particular objects the provision of means whereby the use of gears is avoided, and whereby means are 5 provided for preventing the tobacco from projectmg beyond the end of the cigarette.

The invention consists essentially of a boxlike structure divided into two halves, which are hingedly connected together and an endless belt 1 capable of being moved by direct contact with the users fingers, which is adapted to assume a substantially cylindrical form to enclose the tobacco and enclose it in a cigarette paper, as will be more fully described in the following specifica- 15 tion, and shown in the accompanying drawing,

in which:-

Fig. l is a perspective view of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a part plan view of the invention when laid open for charging with tobacco.

3 is a transverse sectional view showing a cigarette paper being fed into the machine.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View of the device taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of a modi- 5 fication of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a fractional view, partly in section of a further modification.

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 77 of Figure 6.

In the drawing like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

The numeral 1 indicates a boxlike structure made of two halves indicated by the numerals 2 and 3 respectively, each of which has upper walls 4, side walls 5 and end walls 6. One half is slightly longer than the other so that the end walls of one can be nested between the end walls of the other half as shown-in Figures 1 and 2. The halves 2 and 3 are hingedly connected together by a bar 7 which is fitted throughout its length with a roller 8.

Journalled between opposite end walls 6 of the half box portion 2 are rollers 9 and 10 and journalled between the end walls of the half portion 3 is a further roller 11, which rollers are mounted upon longitudinal rods 11.4 which also serve as spacing members for the pairs of end walls 6 and are encompassed by an endless belt 12 of such length as to pass around all the rollers and to provide a substantially cylindrical form between said rollers shown in Figure 3, as at 13, of the size of a cigarette.

Journalled on each end wall 6 of the half portion 3 is a short roller 14 of the same diameter as a cigarette, which rollers project into the cylindrical portion 13 of the belt to form a pair of guides therefore and to ensure its shape being maintained when in operation. The space between the free ends of the rollers 14 is slightly less than the length of a cigarette paper, the purg9 pose of which will hereinafter appear. The inner edge of one of the top walls 4 is cut away as at 15 to define a slot 16 for the insertion of the cigarette paper.

In the modification shown in Figure 5 the rollers 5, 8 and 9 are omitted and in lieu thereof a transversely curved bottom wall 17 is provided, which is enclosed by the exposed portion of the belt 12, thus aiiording an arcuate portion 18 of belt of relatively large dimension which can be easily 7 moved by the users fingers.

In the modification shown in Figures 6 and 7 the structure is made in cylindrical form with the free edges of the half portions 2 and 3 rounded as at 19. The belt 12 in this modifica- 75, tion passes internally around the rollers 14 and externally around the two half portions 2 and 3.

Having thus described the several parts of my invention I will now briefly explain its operation.

The machine as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 8G is opened up approximately to the position shown in Figure 4 and a quantity of tobacco is spread upon the belt 12 between the rollers 10 and 11 and is drawn out endwise into contact with the rollers 14, the structure is then closed and end- 5 wise movement is imparted to the belt by passing the fingers of the hand holding the device, in contact with that portion of the belt which is exposed below the half portions 2 and 3.

The above described belt movement rotates the tobacco within the belt between the rollers 8, 9, 10 and 11, thus causing it to assume a cylindrical form, as shown in Figure 3, when on inserting a cigarette paper into the slot 16 and imparting further movement to the belt in an appropriate direction, the tobacco becomes wrapped therein. Prior to the complete entry of the paper, its gummed edge is moistened so that the final rotation of the tobacco within the paper causes the free edge of the paper to be brought into adhering contact with the entering portion to complete the cigarette. The opening of the two half portions slightly reduces the slack in that portion of belt which lies between the rollers 10 and 11 and slightly raises the cigarette to facilitate its removal therefrom and the disposition of the free ends of the rollers 14 at a lesser distance apart than the length of the cigarette paper keeps the tobacco either level with or slightly within the confines of the paper, thus forming a cigarette which is neat and free from loose ends of tobacco.

The operation of the device in modified form as shown in Figure 5 is identical with that above described, except the motion is imparted to the belt by moving it across the curved bottom wall 1'7.

The device shown in Figures 6 and '7 is filled in the same manner as above described and the two half portions are closed together. It is then held in one hand by gripping one of its ends and by rotating the belt 12 around the structure by the other.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A cigarette machine comprising a pair of members hingedly connected together, a set of rollers journalled parallel to the hinge and a pair of spaced aligned guides disposed between the rollers when the members are in normally closed position, an endless belt extending around the rollers and around the spaced guides whereby the portion of the belt which is around the guides forms a pocket when the members are in normally closed position in which tobacco and a paper are adapted to be rolled to form a cigarette.

2. A cigarette machine comprising a pair of hingedly connected parts each consisting of a pair of spaced ends and longitudinal spacing members parallel to the hinge and holding each pair of ends in spaced relation, a pair of spaced guides supported equidistantly from the spacing members when the parts are in normally closed position, and an endless belt having one portion extending around said longitudinal spacing members and another portion extending around the guides.

3. A cigarette machine comprising a pair of hingedly connected parts each consisting of a pair of spaced ends and longitudinal spacing members parallel to the hinge and holding each pair of ends in spaced relation, a pair of spaced guides supported equidistantly from the longitudinal spacing members when the parts are in normally closed position, an endless belt having one portion extending around said spaced longitudinal members and another portion extending around the guides, two of said longitudinal members and the spaced guides coacting when the parts are in open position to support a portion of the belt in substantially semi-cylindrical form for receiving the tobacco to be rolled into a cigarette.

FINLAY GRAEME STEUART. 

